Nielsen’s Social Content Ratings® Showcases the Power of Talent on Social Media

Social media has changed the way consumers the world over connect with information and content. It’s allowed people from all walks of life to tell their stories, share news and help bring changes to old paradigms.

It’s also shifted the way brands and marketers reach consumers with their messages and presented opportunities for new talent to enter the media space. As a result, this technological advance has evolved how the world communicates.

Now more than ever, the lines between television, entertainment and communication are blurring.

Both talent—whether it’s the actors, directors or any other influencers—and networks are learning to take advantage of these colliding worlds. While social media content from both talent and networks is paramount to harnessing engagement and driving viewership of video content, the social media accounts themselves are an equally vital component in an overall social media strategy.

In addition to providing a vital look at how TV-related social media content is performing, Nielsen’s Social Content Ratings® (SCR) will now also provide insights into how owned social strategies, including the contribution of talent, are being leveraged to promote TV programs across platforms with the launch of Owned Account Performance. Up until this point, talent’s social impact has been a blind spot in the industry. While content is king, it’s actually the social following and reach capabilities behind a talent or network’s account that can command social audiences and, ultimately, help drive the bottom line.

“Knowing how specific TV talent and program-associated accounts are performing across social media platforms opens up countless opportunities for programmers,” says Sean Casey, President, Nielsen Social. “Measuring a social media account’s impact is no longer a mystery. Now, TV talent, as well as the networks themselves, can quantify their account’s social engagement and leverage those insights to optimize their social strategy within their media mix. We can finally fill in more missing pieces around a television show’s total social footprint.”

Owned Account Performance presents an intriguing opportunity for TV talent in particular. While audiences look forward to watching their favorite shows each week, they may also fulfill their desire for more content between episodes by following and engaging with the program’s actors and actresses.

“On-screen TV talent and even those behind the cameras can have massive followings, especially on social media. How they leverage those audiences on social can have an impact on who and how many are watching their show. We can help put value behind their accounts,” says Casey.

The world of social media and television can be nuanced and understanding all facets of the space is necessary to drive engagement with audiences on screens both small and large. The insights behind Owned Account Performance are showcasing the importance of variety, as well as the need for cross-publisher measurement, to understand the total social TV picture. Knowing how accounts across all social platforms—not just one—are affecting the ecosystem can yield dividends.